Find Your Way
by AerithYuna75
Summary: When Rinoa's mother decides that it's time for her and her daughter to leave the small town of Winhill to come and live in Deling City with her father, Rinoa doesn't know what to think. Thrown into a whirlwind filled with feuds, rivalries, and secrets, her experiences will forever shape who she is meant to be...
1. Prologue

**Hi All,**

**Here is the start of my new Squinoa fanfiction. Sort of scared since this is my first that I'm writing alone. I decided to finally write it in honor of Rinoa's birthday, and will hopefully be updating soon. I am very bad with starting stories, and this idea sort of just popped into my head after months of writer's block. It is an alternate universe fanfiction, and please read and review...it's what inspires me. :)  
Anyway, enjoy! (I know it's short...there will be longer chapters in the future.)  
-Yuna Leonhart 3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the mentioned characters, locations, and other elements in this story. They belong to Square Enix, formerly Squaresoft, and I am writing this purely for the fun of it.**

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_"I'll be here...  
...Why...?  
I'll be 'waiting' here...  
For what?  
I'll be waiting here...for you...so...  
If you come here...  
You'll find me.  
I promise."_

_Dust swirled in the blazing summer heat, coating his sweaty skin in a layer of grit that pulled the moisture out of and stung his eyes and nose. His mouth was about as wet as sandpaper, and his hands were sweating under his protective leather gloves. The fur collar of his jacket did little to mop up the salty liquid that constantly formed at the nape of his neck as he ran along, making sure to keep himself low to the ground. Even with the sun gone at this time of night, the night did little to suppress the heat wave that seemed endless._

_Crouching cautiously behind a boulder, he could spot his comrades by the glow his gunblade gave off. The two blondes fell into place beside him, their eyes darting around the enemy territory. They had just received the order to retreat, having successfully completed the first part of the mission. One of his comrades swore under his breath, punching the ground. The metal spikes did little to make grooves in the cracked earth, once again reminding the trio of their dehydrated bodies._

_"…Tch." The martial artist muttered, shaking his sweaty hands. The brunette glared at him for making noise, causing the blonde to start to open his mouth, but then he shut it. He could be stupid, but thankfully, now was not one of those times. They both turned to the female of the group; she had been scanning the landscape, searching for some sort of route. The exit was about a hundred meters away, and was stationed with dozens of guards. The rest of the area they were trapped in was surrounded by an electrical fence. The mission had been going well; they had disguised themselves as some of the soldiers on their way in, but after finishing their goal, their cover had been blown. Now they were alone in enemy territory, and there was no doubt that security had at least tripled._

_It wasn't really a surprise…their lives were filled with danger, and any mistake could leave them for dead. And truthfully, it wasn't a horrid situation._

_Shaking himself out of his thoughts, the brunette brushed some sweat-soaked hair out of his eyes and started to help the female in finding a way out. He took off his signature jacket and tied it around his waist, being sure to resist the urge to take his gloves off. The pulse ammo that vibrated within his gunblade was too dangerous to leave his bare hands unprotected. Glancing up again, he stared blankly at a part of the fence. Twilight had settled, but the lights had been turned on, and his gaze found a point that revealed a path. A large sloped boulder stood in front of the fence, just high enough that with some momentum, they could leap over. Some yards down from that, some vehicles stood parked._

_Shaking his head at the stupidity of the security here, the brunette motioned to his two partners and pointed to the route. They nodded, but before any of them could stand up, a most unwelcome sound met their ears. Dogs that had been tracking them had finally found a scent, and now were barking. They sounded dangerously close, and the roar of an engine seemed to come from every direction._

_Their eyes met, urgency reflecting in each, and they all rolled out from the hiding spot, catching the attention of a stampede of soldiers. Adrenaline pumping through his blood and clearing his head, the brunette started to sprint. His breathing, which had been short before, now grew rhythmic, keeping in time with the steady thumps of his footsteps. His comrades were hot on his heels, but soon they saw soldiers arriving along the side of them, slowly closing in. The brunette prepared his gunblade for battle, the blue hue bouncing in and out of his line of sight as he pumped his arms._

_A pair of soldiers suddenly jumped in front of him, and he slashed his weapon, and they silently fell, dust swirling around them as he left them in the dust. Then the rest of them began to attack, and the brunette dropped his speed, letting his partners go ahead. All of the soldiers in front of him seemed to blur together, his footing light as he ducked and slashed, trying to hack through the wall of people before him. He seemed unaffected at the wounds he sustained, stopping at nothing to reach the boulder that would grant him freedom and the success of the mission. His blade shook as he fired the bullets into the fray, his eyes darting away for a moment to motion for his comrades to jump. They leapt over without a second glance, hopping into a truck. They roared over the sound of gunfire as the engines came to life, and the brunette made one final desperate attempt to flee. He barreled through the mass, destroying anything that came across his path._

_Finally, success greeted him, and he dashed up the boulder, springing off the rock. The force of it catapulted him into a flip, and everything seemed to slow down. A split second glance at the fence revealed a small gray box that was connected to the wires, and he looked over at his gunblade to see that one bullet lay remaining. He aimed, and there was a loud crack as the bullet flew away from him as his feet hit something. The brunette didn't even bother to check what it was._

_His aim was perfect; he watched with ringing ears as the bullet tore through the plastic of the box, and he turned away just as the fence ignited, listening to the sound of the shouts of the soldiers as they were blocked by the wall of flame. He looked down to see that he was in the back of a pickup truck, being carried away safely by his comrades. Staggering unsteadily, he barely noticed the thumbs up from the blonde male before falling over in the back, closing his eyes as he welcomed the calming blackness that washed over him as they sped away to safety._

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**Review! I'd like to know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 1: Leaving Winhill

**Yay!  
Here's another chapter for you lovelies...whoever may be reading this. Sort of a development chapter, so to speak, and much calmer than the one before. That is expected of Winhill, though. Anyway, hope you enjoy...and Squall will be coming up. And that is going to be rather fun to write.  
About this chapter...I felt that I was sort of rambling a lot, but I hopefully did get my point across.  
Thanks for reading this...sorry for the mistakes. It was quite late when I posted this; too much ice cream can really mess up your sleep schedule. I'll be editing soon!  
Till next time,  
- Yuna**

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Rinoa's POV

"Is that all of it, Mom?" I questioned, popping my head back into the doorway of our small house. The once decorated walls of the foyer stood bare and lonely, their paintings and pictures safely packed away in the trunk of our car. It made me sad to think that we were leaving this small haven; my mother, tired of the fame, had retreated into Winhill for a while after having me. Not to mention the fact that she was sick of my father. I didn't really remember him; after we had moved when I was five, I hadn't seen him. And now my mother had suddenly come up with the crazy idea of moving back in with him.

At least it answered my questions; when I couldn't sleep, I heard my mother talking for hours on the phone, her voice hushed and secretive. Of course, whenever I checked the number, it was unfamiliar, and the caller ID was blocked. It confused me; my mother had never kept a secret from me… at least, not any that I knew of. Finally, about a week ago, she told me who she had been talking to for the past month.

It wasn't that I was nervous about moving schools right at the beginning of senior year; I was nervous about my dad. My mother had never left any remnants of the time she spent with him lying around the house. The only thing I knew about him was that his name was Fury Caraway, and that he was one of the most important figures in the Galbadian army. Of course, I had milked whatever information I could out of the newspapers that hung around town; one of my childhood friends, Nida, always had those types of magazines with him. My father was reported about a lot, but it felt weird to look at his picture in the newspaper. It certainly wasn't possible that I could just open up to an article about him and go, "Yup, that's my dad." It was too weird for words.

My mother finally appeared around the corner with one last box in her arms. The furniture still lingered around the house, left for the next inhabitants, with the exception of the particular pieces that were close to us. We had sold it along with the house to the next family; we would have no need for it where we were going.

"Rinoa, could you do one last check of the house to make sure we haven't forgotten anything?" my mother requested, shaking me out of my thoughts.

I nodded, smiling slightly. "Sure thing, Mom." Before I could dash up the stairs again, though, my mother called me back down. "On second thought," she continued with a wry smile on her face, "I think I'll go with you. It seems fitting that we see the house one last time together. Let me go give this box to Nida to put in the car, and then I'll join you."

I waited patiently on the steps as she exited the house and returned a minute later. Putting her arm around my shoulders comfortingly, we walked up the steps together and entered the small upstairs hallway. We first went to the spare room, and found nothing in there. It wasn't really a surprise; we had no relatives to speak of, besides my father. And since he had never visited, we didn't dress the room up too much. It was used for storage, and was now stripped bare. I shrugged, turning to face my mom. "Not many memories here, are there?"

My mother gave me a small smile. "No, but it's still worth saying goodbye to." With that, she gently closed the door, letting go of the handle gently. We turned to the other side of the hallway to my room. I was seventeen, but even so, the thought of leaving the room I had practically grown up in still left a lump in my throat that wouldn't go away. I opened the door quietly; it was no longer decorated with pictures of my friends and I, but was rather a blank white canvas, hopefully one that would be put to use again. Stepping inside, my mother close behind, I took one last breath inside my old sanctuary. The light blue walls that matched the white carpeting had always made me feel like I was flying through the sky. Lace white curtains still framed the windows that provided a beautiful view of the farmland in the surrounding area of Winhill. I started to feel tears pricking my eyes, and I blinked vigorously to prevent them from falling. I felt my mother's hand on my shoulder, massaging it comfortingly. It reminded me of the nights we spent in here; her holding me close whenever I had a bad dream, telling me stories of the sorceresses and their knights. And then she would sing to me, her sweet voice lulling me back to sleep. The voice that had charmed so many people, reserved just for my scared, childlike self.

I swallowed around that lump in my throat, nodding to my mother. We turned back to the door, and walked back out. The next two rooms, her bedroom and the bathroom, passed by quickly. There were too many memories here to count, and it wasn't long before we found ourselves closing the door to the last room downstairs.

"Rinoa, go head outside to say goodbye to Nida and his family." My mother said after a moment, clearing her throat. "I want to make sure that the stove's off."

Giving her a reassuring smile, I walked quickly over to the front door, turning around to look at my old house one last time. Breathing in slowly, and exhaling, I turned the knob on the door and stepped outside to see Nida and his family waiting patiently next to our car. They all had sad smiles on their faces, and each one of them gave me a hug in turn, with Nida last.

"I'm gonna miss ya, Rin." He said quietly to me, hugging me tightly. "Keep in touch, okay?"

"Of course, Nida." I said warmly, glancing up at him with a smile. "Cheer up…it's not like I'm moving to the Centra continent. Deling City's just a couple of hours away."

"I know…" he replied, a hint of that familiar smile on his face. "But I've known you for twelve years. It certainly feels like you're moving more than a couple hours."

"I'll come visit whenever I can. Deal?" I implored.

"Deal." He pulled me in for one last hug, then let go as my mother came out of the house. She motioned for me to get in the car, and I sighed, plunking down in the passenger seat. My mother joined me on the driver's side, and the engine came to life as she turned the key. Nida and his family stepped away as we waved to each other, and it wasn't long before the slope of the hill hid them from view.

As we continued along the road, past the town square, I couldn't help but feel an inkling of foreboding as the small outpost was soon left behind in the dust that was left in our wake. I wasn't quite sure what it was, but it got me thinking as I pulled out my headphones and music player.

What did Hyne have in store for me now?


	3. Chapter 2: Moving In

**Hi, to anyone who may be reading this,  
Finally...another chapter. For some reason, this took forever for me to write. Anyway, it's a bit longer than the other ones; I hope I didn't try to shove too much into one chapter, but I felt that all of this should go together. (Also, the butler is not the demon we know from Black Butler. I merely used the name as a reference xD.)  
And yes, no Angelo yet...he will be coming soon though! And of course, some Squall next chapter. I'm bouncing off the walls in excitement...  
As always, please, please, please, review this...I need to know what you think.  
Have an awesome weekend!  
-Yuna**

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Rinoa's POV:

Night had fallen by the time we reached Deling City. As we drove along the highway, reaching the exit that would take us to our new home, my mother and I heard the tremendous roar of the transcontinental railroad cars. It was quite loud in this area; Winhill was more of an outpost, and it was usually quiet enough to hear the crickets chirping and the trees moving back and forth in the wind. Here, the lights were eternally bright, and even a mile from the city, it seemed to be as loud as the sports I would sometimes watch on television.

Glancing over at my mother, I noticed a small smile creeping up on her face, the lights of the highway flashing in and out of the car. I grew indignant at the fact that she seemed so happy; I knew I should be agreeable about this, but I had been happy in Winhill.

"It's been twelve years..." My mother's voice cut through the silence in our car as her smile escalated into a small grin. "Twelve years, honey. Can you believe it?"

I sighed, slumping in my seat. My unhappiness made me feel guilty, and I _hated_ feeling guilty. I ran a hand through my raven black hair, sighing and pulling it up into a messy ponytail to keep it off my neck. "Feels like forever." I muttered noncommittally, turning to face out the passenger window, watching the white lines that separated the lanes zoom in and out of my vision.

"Quite the contrary, actually." She replied, a small, musical laugh escaping her. "It feels like just yesterday that we were living here with your father. It's quite the city…not one that would easily be forgotten. Even by one as young as you."

I shrugged, looking back down at the book that lay closed in my lap. "I don't remember too much of it, Mom. I guess I was just too young to remember."

"Possibly." She replied, but her tone implied something different; I couldn't detect what it was, though. "Either way, I hope you're excited to see your father again. He really regrets that he missed out on a lot of your life, Rinoa."

I crossed my arms, exhaling loudly. "And he never once visited?"

"Hon, your father is a general. He can't just shirk his duties to his country and come out to an outpost town. It would look suspicious and irresponsible." My mother sounded defensive, as if I not seeing him for twelve years was no big deal. It made me slightly suspicious; I had been told that I was a lot like my mother. If I were being that defensive about something, even though I knew I was wrong, I would be hiding something.

"I know…but a phone call once in a while would have been nice." I muttered mutinously.

"Phone calls can be tracked, Rinoa. It's not safe being the general's family." My mother replied without skipping a beat. "He wanted to make sure that no one would trace us to him."

There wasn't really anything I could do to argue with that type of logic. "…I guess I'm just scared." I admitted truthfully. "I have no idea what he's like. All I can remember is him giving me a hug and kissing me on the forehead when I was going to bed one night."

My mother gave me a sympathetic smile. "He may be a general, Rin, but he is a very nice person. He's very protective, and I know he cares about you, honey. Just…give him a chance, okay?"

I offered her a smile back, nodding and uncrossing my arms, settling back into my seat. "I will, Mom."

Her smile grew wider. "Thank you. Rinoa, look on the bright side. At least we don't have to switch blitzball loyalties!"

I could barely hear her other reasons over my laughter.

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We finally stopped in front of a large mansion that stood about a mile from the city. Its three or so stories loomed over us as we parked in the side driveway. As we were driving up, I had noticed that the front had a moat of some sort crossing it, giving it a feel of a small castle. Guards stood stationed outside it, and I felt that if I even stepped onto the manicured lawn by accident, they would taser me or something. Talk about paranoia.

My mother didn't look fazed at all though; she seemed to be used to it. Her smile grew as a middle-aged man walked out to greet us. He was dressed in a black suit, with his hair immaculately groomed and his clothes freshly pressed. He walked up to us and kissed my mother's hand lightly, the straightened up from his bow, and clasped his hands together. "Lady Julia…it is wonderful to see you again, along with Miss Rinoa too."

I was slightly confused as to how he knew my name, because I certainly didn't recognize him. My mother seemed to catch on. "Rinoa, this is your father's personal butler and chauffeur, Sebastian."

"We have a _butler_?" I asked incredulously, earning a laugh from the two adults.

"Yes," Sebastian replied, a small smile on his face. "It must be quite a shock from your previous…housing arrangements, but you will get used to it soon enough, I assure you." He turned to my mother again. "The other staff will take care of your luggage. Please follow me; General Caraway has been awaiting your arrival."

He led us in through a side door, much different than the double ones out front that were made of thick wood. It led to a small hallway to put coats and shoes, and then there was a flight of stairs leading up to the first story of the house. We slipped off our shoes, and followed Sebastian up the stairs into another hallway, only this time it was a richly decorated one.

Ornate lamps hung from the walls, lighting the polished wood floors and the crown molding on the edges of the ceiling and floor. Continuing along, it led out into an elaborate foyer, complete with a large, plush rug and a chandelier hanging from a high ceiling. Glancing upward, I saw that the curving stairs we were on led up to a balcony on the second floor. I didn't have much time to stop and stare, though; my mother gently urged me onward as Sebastian disappeared into a room to the left of us.

My mother and I stepped into a large office with a conference table, a gigantic window with a view of Deling City, and at the back, a wooden desk.

All of this belonged to the man sitting in the chair behind it, with his perfectly ironed, crisp military uniform and salt-and-pepper hair; my father, General Fury Caraway.

He stood up upon our entrance, and we walked over to the desk behind Sebastian, who went over to stand by a large globe next to the desk. My father circled around his desk, his arms held out as a smile grew on his face. "It's been so long…" he said quietly, pulling us both into his embrace. Holding us for a moment longer, he finally pulled away slightly to look at the two of us, some wrinkles forming near his eyes when he smiled. He looked older than I had remembered him, but he was still the same person.

Turning toward me with a smile that looked a bit weary, he continued, "You've grown up so much, Rinoa. You're as beautiful as your mother."

I smiled back at him, although my tiredness had caught up with me somewhat and it was slightly forced. "…It's good to see you again…Dad." The word felt foreign on my tongue, but comforting at the same time. And truthfully, I missed saying it.

"It's good to see you too, hon." His tone was gentle. "It's also good that I finally get the title of Dad after all these years of being referred to as Sir, or General." My mother and I let out a small laugh, easing the tension slightly in the room.

"Anyway, how was the ride over?" he questioned the two of us. "Did you hit a lot of traffic near the exit?"

My mother shook her head. "No, it was actually quite empty when we were coming over. The weather was nice, too."

"That's good to hear, Julia." My father turned to Sebastian. "Is the luggage put in the rooms?"

Sebastian gave a small bow, nodding. "I believe so, but I shall check on that for you." With that, he left the room on swift footsteps, leaving us three standing there.

My father gestured to the conference table. "I won't hold you two up for long – I trust you're probably tired – but I would like to catch up a little bit, along with getting Rinoa settled for school tomorrow."

I sat next to my mother, and my father sat across from us, and began to speak to me. "School here starts at seven twenty, so I would recommend leaving here around five of seven to get there early enough. I have already set you up with the office, so you can just walk in and say your name; they'll get you to class on time. Your mother mentioned that you like blue; there is a car in the garage you may use. I'll leave the keys on your nightstand. You should be fine, but I would recommend being careful. This is a city, and will be quite different from your stay in Winhill.

"Considering dinner arrangements, I'll have them sent up to your rooms for tonight. It will be easier, considering the time. Sebastian will show you to your room, Rinoa. I do hope you will find it to your liking."

As if on cue, the butler walked back in, and my father nodded to me. "Why don't you go upstairs right now; if you don't mind, I would like to talk with your mother for a couple minutes."

I nodded back in consent, standing up and hugging the both of them as a goodnight gesture. Following Sebastian out of the room, he led me back down the hallway to the staircase. Heading past it, we walked down a darker hallway to a door that was labeled with my name on it in elegant black lettering.

"After you, miss." Sebastian said softly, opening the door and flicking on the light for me.

I took a sharp intake of breath when I saw my room. It was painted the exact same color as my old one, with the same white carpeting and ceiling. There was a grand view of the city from the window that was framed with white curtains. It was the same, except for being a little bigger. All in all, it was rather perfect for my liking.

"Your bathroom is over there, Miss," Sebastian said, gesturing to a door near my closet. "Also, dinner will be prepared in a couple minutes; I'll have someone deliver it when it's ready. Call on any of us if you need anything."

"Uh…Sebastian?" I questioned. "Is there a map of this place or anything? I don't want to get lost…"

He smiled as if he had been expecting the question, and pulled out a small folded piece of paper. "Here you are, Miss." With that, he bowed and disappeared out the door, closing it behind him.

Flopping on my bed, I stared up at the ceiling, closing my eyes.

Tomorrow…would be an interesting day.

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**Review please! I really would like to know what you think!**


	4. Chapter 3: A Connection Made

**Hey everyone,**

**It took me forever to be able to find time to write this chapter...mostly because of my enormous amount of work, along with a huge test I had to study for. Anyway, now that two weeks have gone by (-.-) I finally have updated!  
We introduce a lot of characters into this chapter...some of them don't have huge parts, but they will later! Either way, we finally get a Squall point of view in this one. Please review this one, because I am very concerned as to whether I totally botched anyone's attitude. I need feedback!  
One more thing...I often listen to music when I write, and will leave suggestions for songs for chapters. If anyone has suggestions, just let me know! (For this one...let's go with Thunderstruck by ACDC, because when Zell cranks up the radio, that was what I was thinking of.)  
Thank you so much...every view counts!**

**-Yuna  
(P.S. Thoughts are written in italics, POV's are written in bold, and text messages and such are written in bold and italics. Hope that helps!)**

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**Rinoa's POV:**

An alarm clock on my nightstand heralded the morning with a noise louder than any rooster that I had heard. I groaned loudly, my sleep-muddled brain making my eyes blink open. Glancing out, I saw that even with it being five in the morning, the city was still alive with noise. I was astonished I had even managed to fall asleep last night with all the noise.

Fumbling my way out of the sheets that were tightly wrapped around me, I stumbled over to the bathroom, straightening out my tanktop. Grimacing at the atrocity that was my hair, I found that my toothbrush, hair brushes, contacts amenities, and other toiletries were laid out in perfect order on the counter. It was a nice gesture, but it felt a little weird having people go through my personal luggage while I was sleeping. Fortunately, it was early in the morning, and I didn't dwell on the subject.

Having already taken a shower the night before, I began yanking a brush through my hair, deciding to leave it down for the day. That decided, I set down my brush and walked back out to my bedroom, picking up my phone on the way to my closet. There was a text from Nida waiting for me.

**_Good luck, Rin-Rin. You're gonna be fine today. ^.^_**

Letting out a small laugh, I couldn't help but smile. At least I had Nida for support. Quickly texting a reply back, I glanced up at my clothing. His text had reminded me that I was a newcomer in this school, and I had to make a good impression. It was my senior year after all, and I had to make sure that it would be a good one. Even if I was arriving a week late.

Studying the articles in front of me, I decided on a pair of cropped black shorts, a sky blue blouse, and black ballet flats. Clipping a necklace on, I found my way back to the bathroom and began to apply a light dose of makeup. Hey, if I'm going to make a good impression, I don't want to look like a menace, do I?

After finishing applying my lip gloss, I picked up the map Sebastian had given me last night. I had studied it for about an hour last night, memorizing the staircases, rooms, and hallways. First order of business was the kitchen.

Yup…that was definitely my stomach speaking.

**Squall POV:**

One of my eyes flickered open to glare at the alarm clock that was blaring on my nightstand next to my bed. Lifting my head from the pillow it had previously been resting on, I slapped the SNOOZE button and sat up on my bed, swinging my legs over the side. My Griever ring rubbed against my cheek as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and yawned. Damn school…I can't wait till this year's over. Then I can go back to my real life.

Grumbling quietly in annoyance, I made my way over to the closet, selecting a white v-neck shirt and putting it on. The goosebumps that had risen on my flesh from the sudden cold were now disappearing, and I changed into some black jeans along with the shirt. Heading over to the door, my feet were silent on the hardwood floor as I went over to the bathroom. I had to be quiet; Ellone's college classes didn't start till about nine in the morning, and she wouldn't be appreciative of me waking her up at six. She really was the only reason I was actually in Deling in the first place. By going to college here, my old man Laguna had decided on me staying with her. At least it got me away from the publicity-ridden life of being the son of a president. Besides, I hated to admit it, but it was rather nice with Elle. She was a lot calmer than Laguna, for starters.

By the time my thought processes had completed, I had reached the sink in the bathroom, and turned the faucet on, splashing cold water on my face to wake myself up. Taking a towel, I dried it off and glanced in the mirror. My icy blue eyes stared back at me, framed by shaggy brunette locks that would never gain the ability to tame themselves. There was one thing in particular, though, that caught my eye.

It was the long, thin, red scar that ran down the center of my face, from the right side of my forehead to my left cheek. I ran my index finger down it, wincing slightly at the pressure. I had earned it on Saturday, when Almasy and I had had a bit of a…skirmish, so to speak. Luckily, though, I had gotten back at the prick, giving him a mirroring scar. I could still see that stupid smirk he had had on his face. It was annoying as hell, and the doctor Ellone had dragged me to had said that it was going to be there permanently. Well, if anyone noticed during school, I sure as hell wasn't gonna care. It was none of their business. Unfortunately, knowing Seifer, he probably would have already told most of the student body. At least the female portion.

Shaking my head slightly, I grimaced at the wound. I think too much. Throwing the towel down on the counter, I marched back to my room, resisting the urge to slam the door. Ellone was a generally sweet person, but not when she was woken up early.

Unplugging my black laptop from its charger, I stuck both into a black backpack; along with the textbooks and notebooks I was going to need for today. Grabbing my beaten leather jacket off of the back of the swivel chair, its fur collar tickling my palm, I added it to my belongings. My phone, headphones, and music player were safely tucked away in the pockets. With that, I took one last glance around my room, shut the door, and walked downstairs.

It was still pitch dark outside, and I flicked on the lights, grabbing a granola bar from the pantry and a water bottle from the fridge. I still had to pick Zell up, and I wasn't one to be late. I might as well be, though…he wasn't one for getting up on time. It never failed to piss me off in the morning.

Walking towards the front door, I slipped on my black combat boots and headed out into the crisp morning air. It was slightly cold, but the September heat was still evident, and I frowned at the thought. By soccer practice this afternoon, it would be blazing hot.

Slipping into the black car in the driveway, I started the engine and drove out into the street. It would only take a couple minutes to get to Zell's house.

He surprised me this morning by actually being ready and waiting outside, practicing his martial arts. When I parked, he immediately hopped in, his bright attitude filling up the car, causing my frown to deepen.

"Yo, Squall." He greeted me cheerfully as I drove back onto the street. "What's the little frowny face for? Somethin' up?"

"No." I replied stoically, not even bothering to remind him that he asked me that every day. We were held up by a stoplight, and I concentrated on the little dot of red hovering above us.

"Come on, cheer up!" Zell punched me in the shoulder, not enough to make it hurt, but enough to shove me to my left into the door. "Watch it," I growled, turning my head to glare at him.

"The light's green." He pointed out, pointing ahead. "So concentrate on the road and don't give me that pissy look!"

I ignored him, turning my attention back to the road. One would wonder why I still picked him up even though he annoyed me; in truth, Zell and I were a lot closer than people were aware of.

And there I was, thinking too much again. I blinked, regaining my awareness of the road, and resisted the urge to sigh as Zell turned on the radio and cranked the volume. Normally I would turn it off, but it wasn't a bad song.

We arrived at the school in due time, but right as I was about to enter the parking lot, a rather familiar red Mustang zoomed by, completely cutting me off. I growled, yanking my car into the space next to it, and got out, slamming the door behind me. "Fuck you, Almasy!"

"And a good morning to you too, Puberty Boy." The tall blonde stepped out of the driver's seat and greeted me with a mock bow. "Bright and bushy-tailed per usual, aren't we now?"

"Oh, yes," Irvine chimed in from the passenger seat of Seifer's car. "It ain't a party till Squally's here." He stepped out, leaning against the car door, and tipped his black cowboy hat at me. "Nice scar you got there."

I had completely forgotten about it in my anger at Seifer, and I turned to the blonde, gazing at his mirroring scar. People were milling around the schoolyard and sitting down on the steps, and I wasn't looking forward to walking past all of them just so they could stare at my scar. There was nothing I hated more than being the center of attention.

By that time, Zell had gotten out of the car, and the four of us were now congregated together. I glared at Seifer, frowning at the smirk on his face. He noticed me, and crossed his arms, his smirk widening. "Well, are you enjoying that little present I gave you, or do you want a refund? Or maybe another?"

I turned around and grabbed my backpack from behind the driver's seat. "No, I'm not marching up there in front of everyone just so they can stare."

"Oh, you're no fun!" Irvine moaned in a mock-tragic voice. "Watch this, and maybe you will." He turned around to face some girls who were staring at us, and pressed a hand to his mouth, pulling it away and blowing a kiss. They all turned to each other and started giggling amongst themselves.

"That's disgusting." Zell commented, whacking his head, and for once, I had to agree with the blonde.

"Irvine, disgusting…same thing, really, Chicken-wuss." Seifer countered dryly, grinning at the look Irvine gave him. "They don't call you a lecher for nothing, Irvy."

Irvine pouted slightly. "You're mean."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Seifer replied derisively.

I sighed loudly and slung my bag over my shoulder. "Whatever…I'm leaving. See you all later."

"No." Seifer said commandingly, making me stop. "You gotta walk in with me, otherwise the whole scar thing…well, it just doesn't have the same effect." At my unchanging expression, he spread his arms and smirked. "And I'll stop shoving Ashlyn in your face if you do this."

He had gotten me there. Truthfully, I was sick and tired of her fawning over me. I growled, frustrated, and turned back to face him. "Fine."

**Rinoa's POV:**

By the time I had arrived, the parking lot was almost completely filled with cars, and I was lucky enough to snag a spot relatively near the school. Shutting off the engine, I grabbed my bag, and locked the car behind me, walking quickly towards the building. It was three stories, and sprawled over a large campus. By the time I reached the sidewalk in front, I could make out a welcome banner that read, _'Welcome back, students of Deling South!'_

This place was so much different than Winhill. We only had one high school, and it was about half the size of this place. In Winhill, you could dress in whatever you wanted, and no one cared. Here, I noticed that I had just barely made the margin for not looking out of place. All the girls were wearing copious amounts of makeup, and their hair was flat-ironed perfection. There was also the fact that most of them looked spoiled rotten, checking their reflections in the screen of their phones. Hopefully I could find some normal people here.

Stepping inside the air conditioned building, I shivered slightly as I adjusted to the sudden cold. I had barely started looking at the notices on the board when the people who were outside started talking and murmuring amongst themselves. Wondering what the source of commotion was, I stepped out to the front, and saw that a group of four guys were heading towards where I was standing. Two of them were blondes, and two were brunettes. They were all striking in their looks, and seemed to be quite popular, considering the fact that all the girls were staring at them in awe, and the guys in envy. One noticeable thing, though, was that two of them, the ones in front, had mirroring scars across their faces. The blonde one was smirking, while the brunette wore a brooding look. I tried to shrink back into the crowd, but as I looked up again, I caught the gaze of the scarred brunette. He had intense, icy blue eyes, and I did a double-take at the fact that he was…well, handsome. Very handsome; his brown hair hung in shaggy locks, framing a chiseled face. The only thing that marred it was the deep frown he wore. I realized I had been staring, and I looked away before I could completely convince him that I was just another gaping idiot.

I was shaken out of my daze by being jostled around by the arriving students. Quickly dodging a couple football players who were tossing something around, I escaped into the door of the main office. In here, it was cool and silent, and I only noticed that I was pressed up against the door when one of the secretaries gave me a weird look. "…Sorry." I muttered, letting go of the door handle and walking up to the counter. "Um…I'm a new student here. Do you think you could help me?"

The woman glanced up at me from behind a pair of black framed glasses. "Rinoa Caraway, I presume?"

Caraway? That was new…I had always used my mother's maiden name. "Uh, it's Rinoa Hearti-"

"Here's your schedule." She said, cutting me off and handing me a piece of paper with a list of classes written on it. "You've already been entered into the school database, and your locker number is listed on your schedule." She handed me a thick packet. "Here's the school handbook, where you'll find the rules, the school map, and the permission slip for bringing electronic devices to school. Your parents will have to sign it in order for you to bring something such as a laptop."

I nodded. "How much time do we have between classes?"

"Eight minutes. You might be a little late to your first class, Miss Caraway. I still have some work to do before you're set to go in. You can have a seat over there." The secretary gestured to a set of chairs over by an empty desk.

As she turned back to her computer, I sighed quietly and sat down in one of the chairs, setting my bag down next to me. Flipping open the handbook, I had barely stared at it for a minute before my mind started to wander. Who was that guy who had walked into school this morning? I knew I didn't have a chance with him or anything…but I had noticed a jolt course through me when our eyes met. And I had seen the slight surprise in his eyes, too. It piqued my curiosity, and at the mere thought of him I felt my cheeks heat up slightly. Shaking my head slightly, I turned my attention back to the school map, but I couldn't help but wonder…would I have any classes with him? Would he recognize me? Would he talk to me?

_Stop it, Rinoa!_ I scolded myself, narrowing my eyes at the handbook as if it had done me some personal wrong. I forcibly shoved the thought of the brunette out of my mind. Unfortunately, at that point, the secretary was done, and called me over.

"School's already started, but I'll give you a late pass. Just follow the map, and you should be able to find your class easily." She quickly wrote something down on a yellow slip of paper, and handed it to me. "Welcome to Deling South."

* * *

I had been wandering around the halls for a couple minutes before I realized I was completely lost. Every single hall looked the same, and I growled in frustration. Looking down at the map again, I tried to trace my steps with my finger, but before it could even touch the page, I heard a slight echoing.

"I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!" Someone shouted, and the next moment, I found myself on the ground, my backpack about five feet away from me, and someone groaning next to me.

Confused, I glanced over, and saw a petite young girl with large green eyes and short brown hair that was styled in the oddest hairstyle I had ever seen. "Oh, goodness, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, then paused, tilting her head. "Wait, who are you? I've never seen you around before."

I stood up, holding out a hand, which she gratefully took. The girl was dressed in brown boots and a short yellow sundress. She came up to my nose. "Um…I'm new here." I said uncertainly, reaching over and grabbing my bag and the handbook. "My name's Rinoa Heartilly." I stuck out my hand for her to shake.

She gave me a bright smile, and shook my hand. "Selphie Tilmitt!" she said cheerfully, picking up her bright yellow backpack. "Are you lost?"

I nodded, and gestured to the handbook. "Uh, yeah…this is very confusing."

Selphie nodded in agreement, and held out her hand. "Don't use the handbook. The real rules you need to learn will be through...experience. Gimme your schedule."

I handed it over to her, and she studied it for a moment. "Oh, cool! You have the same first block class as me!" Her cheeriness turned to confusion when she pointed to my name. "You're the general's daughter? I thought you said your name was Heartilly, not Caraway." She gave me a questioning look...there was something else except confusion, but I couldn't place it.

I frowned, then decided to explain. "My dad's the general, but don't go around telling people that. My name is actually Rinoa Heartilly. I use my mom's maiden name."

"Ohhhhhh," Selphie said, nodding, then grabbed my hand. "Well, you're a good excuse for me to be late! Come on, you're gonna love this class!"

I couldn't help but smile as she dragged me down the empty hallway. Maybe...just maybe, this wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

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